The rain came this past weekend and gave the valley a much needed washing.  The harvest dust hung so heavy in the air and the orchards looked tired and brown.  But now a cold breeze is blowing around my window, turning our noses red and twisting Eliza’s curls around her pink cheeks.  The sky is bright blue again, fresh green grass is growing in the orchards, and the leaves are starting to show their colors.

Little changes are happening around our little place.  Painting, tilling, building…  so exciting to see progress.

Getting ready to plant grass and fruit trees in the front.

All of them squeezed into the cab of the tractor.  Eliza did not want to be left out.

Me, throwing my boots on to run out and take pictures

The fresh coat of paint on the house looks amazing; almost miraculous in fact.  I will post some “before & after” pictures soon. 

.:Happy Fall:.

I realize that when I say “I love fall.”, it’s like saying,

“Pizza is yummy.” or,

“The Beatles are cool.” or,

“Oxygen is good.”.

I mean; who doesn’t like Fall?  Fall means flannel p.j.s, apple butter on your toast, soup on the stove, sweaters back in the drawer, James Taylor on the MP3 player, and field trips to the Pumpkin Patch.

Grandpa came with us.  We are really liking having a “temporarily unemployed Grandpa” around

Farmer John breaking a pumpkin open with his bare hands… wow.

Milking the cow.   That night at dinner I said to Jude, “Hey Bud!  Tell Daddy about milking the cow!!”

He didn’t even look up from his super, he just said, “It wasn’t a real cow Mom.”

I know that…

Don’t you love this face?  I love this face.

Can you see how flushed their cheeks are?  It was hot that day.  Sweat rollin’ down your back, boy-I-could-use-a-cold-soda-right-about-now, kind of day!

<Insert awkward transition here>

I have a dream…

A dream that someday I will get out of the shower and not hear screaming.

That my shower will not be interrupted by someone opening the shower door to ask me for a drink of water.  Or to hand me a Go-gurt package to open (true story).

That one day I will be able to enjoy my shower without thinking that the phone is ringing or wondering what that loud thump was.  You have to have a dream.

Alright.  Here is were I warn you that the rest of this post is sewing/fabric related.  So if your not interested please feel free to jump ship.  I promise I won’t be offended; in fact I won’t even know that you did.

I’m working on some quilt blocks.  It’s called a “Wonky Log Cabin”.  Fun! Don’t you think?

My goal is to make a block a day and hopefully in a month-ish, I will have enough to make a quilt for my bed.

If you have ever wanted to try your hand at quilting, it doesn’t get much easier than a Wonky Log Cabin.  I found a free tutorial online that had great instructions for making one.

I also got to go to the Pacific International Quilt Festival with my Mom last Saturday.  What a great day that was!  First, I got to just hang out with my Mom, which is always a fun treat, and we got our fill of quilts, fabric, buttons, and patterns.

I picked up these beautiful jade green antique flower buttons.

A bundle of vintage millinery flowers.  I love the pop of yellow in the center. 

.:A summer dress for Eliza:.

A whole stack of beautiful flannels.

My big splurge… a half a yard of Heather Ross’ “Far, Far, Away” linen.  They don’t sell any Heather Ross locally so I was really excited to find some.  I have a hard time using fabric I really love because I tuck it away to use for something special… but nothing ever seems special enough.

.: A purse for me:.

I’m hoping to do another sewing post soon.  I’ve been working on some projects for myself and I thought I would share what I’ve been up to the last month in a half.

Wow.  That was a long post.  Thanks for stickin’ with me!

Sometimes I worry about silly things.

Things like~

When I sit down and I have to tuck my belly into my jeans and I think “I really should do something about that.”

The sad, sagging couch sitting in my living room that is covered with dirty shoe prints and greasy finger smears.

Things I want to accomplish… but haven’t.

A number on a scale.

Nothing earth shattering.  Just little things that chip away at my peace of mind, and before I know it the day is over and my head is aching because I’ve been clinching my teeth for hours.

Some how they have a way of sliding everything back into focus.  Giving me the perspective I need.

Being here.  In this moment.  Not wanting anything else.

It is a good feeling, a lightness and freedom, to know you are exactly were you are meant to be.

  

 

So what do you do…

~Your husband (who has been sick for the better part of 2 weeks) leaves on business travel

~You are left alone with three young children.

~The week is packed full with a field trip, school days, doctor appointments,  homework, Awanas…

~ Your sweet little girl spends the first part of the week running a very high temperature which turns out to be a double ear infection and not just a virus that needs to “run it’s course”.

What do you do?

You lean very heavily on the four wonderful grandparents who live just 4 minutes away.  My sweet mother-in-law who held Eliza in her arms while I quickly ran to the grocery store to get food for the week.  Who didn’t even flinch when I said “Mom are you sure you want to watch her?  She’s running a really high fever?”   Grandpa W. who took time out of his busy harvest-time schedule to take Jude to school and to check on us in the evening.  My own mom who went with me to our doctors appointments, babysat Eliza while I took the boys to the Fire Station, and my own dad who came to my rescue more than once.

My Dad called one night to check on me and sensed the weariness and strain in my voice.  Ten minutes later he was on my door step with popcorn in his hands ready to play with three exited children.  Eliza made herself at home on Grandpa’s shoulder as they all happily ate popcorn and watched “Curious George”.  He stayed to help with p.j’s, bedtime stories, songs, prayers, and good-night kisses.

My children are growing up believing that all children have 4 wonderful, loving, devoted, Godly Grandparents.  They will never know anything different.  They don’t know how blessed they are… but I do.

So, what do you do on the very first day everyone is finally healthy?  You get out of the house!  Have some fun.  So we called the cousins

Alli (my sister-in-law) and I have a system for coordinating time together.  It goes like this-
Phone rings around breakfast time.  “Hey, what are you guys doing today?”
“Nothing important.”
“Do you want to run away and play with us?”
“Sounds great!”

So we did.  Since we both have school age children, we made it and educational get away to The Great Valley Museum.

Then we stopped at the grocery store to pick up lunch items and Starbucks for the grownups.

We were quite the spectacle wandering down the aisles with 8 children in tow.  The reactions on peoples’ faces ranged from amused, to delighted, to a little terrified .

Off to the park for a picnic lunch, and a little water play.

Anything can become a swim suit!

There is only a small window of time when you are allowed to run around in you underwear in public and not raise a few eyebrows.  They are making the most of that brief window!

She is another reason I feel tremendously blessed.

I don’t even want to know how many Oreos and Cheetos Gideon ate that day.

Gideon shares my love of all things orange and artificial.

Well I off now.  I might even try to sneak in a little Sunday nap before the children wake up.

Enjoy what is left of this Fall weekend!